Part One : Revelation
by AhPohSiput
Summary: Ben, Gwen and Kevin suddenly stumble upon a mysterious girl after a fight with another alien...what secrets of Kevin's past does she hold? But meanwhile, a bigger threat is looming over....... *bleh sorry stupid summary*
1. Headlight Sight

**Well...this is my first published work, hope ya'll like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ben 10, or any of the content excluding that.....mysterious girl. But hey, God's letting me do this, so I'm believing it'll turn out fine. Also, this story is devoid of any swear words, except for the mildest words. The content in this writing is mainly for Christian viewers,but those of other religions are welcome to read, and, if possible, understand. No religious discriminination here! Hey, this may even help you to learn more about our Way.**

Chapter I – Headlight Sight

The creature ran forward, propelling her four legs to its maximum speed. Raced through the dense grass & foliage, through the dead bracken, anything to get away from the lights that pursued her tirelessly.

She hadn't done anything wrong, she thought. All she had done was traipse around the wilderness at the edge of the road. Sure, her golden eyes glowed so brightly in the dark that anyone would have noticed it from a good distance, but she didn't think that as ominous. Then came the headlights.

Now she ran on the road, the rough tarmac hardly bothering her. She had to get back to the hill. She'd be safe at the hill, where the chapel was. But she was tiring, and they knew it. Desperately, she made one last turn into the forest. Hopefully, they'd get lost and leave her.

To a human, the forest might have been deadly quiet, save for the crickets, but to her, the forest was alive with sound. As she ran, she heard the roaring sound of that thing chasing her fading. She was right at the edge of the forest. So close……

Just then, light blinded her, its source making a growling noise. She froze. It was too late. Panicking, she made one last decision, one that might save her.

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Kevin drove at full speed towards the creature. Suddenly, he heard Ben yell. "Stop it. Now! " He immediately jammed the brakes, causing the car to slide to an abrupt halt. The three of them were hurtled forward, but unharmed, thanks to their seatbelts. No wonder they were invented.

Groaning, Kevin got up, rubbing his head. He heard Gwen mutter an "Ow…"Kevin let out a sigh. The fact that he had followed Ben's command so quickly wasn't due to their friendship, or relationship, call it what you will, it was just instinct for him to listen. This wasn't the first time it had happened. All the same, he was annoyed that he had to stop so suddenly.

But as he looked up, he saw why Ben had stopped him. In front of them, covering her eyes from the bright headlights, was a girl.

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The three of them got out of the car, causing the girl to back away, frightened. But the lights had been turned off, and her arms no longer concealed her face. She looked around 13 years old, her black hair rather untidy. She wore a white, half-sleeve shirt, with a black cloak, knotted at the back, and sleeves, rolled up just enough for her hands to be of use. Her pale blue pants were dirty, but still in a somewhat good condition. A small necklace dangled from her neck, decorated with a pretty, mosaic piece-like pendant.

"You all right?" Gwen asked, casually, but not in an unkind way. The girl hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Ben grinned. "Sorry for giving you such a scare. We didn't see who you were. Where were you headed?" She shifted uncomfortably, then mumbled, "To that hill up there. See?" They looked up. Sure enough, they saw the silhouette of a building, topped by a tall cross. "What? The chapel?" Kevin said. The girl just nodded again.

"Well, sorry to bother ya. Ciao, I guess." Kevin muttered. "Get in, you two." Kevin closed the door and turned the keys. Immediately, the engine roared to life. The car turned and sped off.

It was silent, and the crickets chirped quietly, but aside from that, all was silent.

The girl watched the vehicle as it slowly disappeared into nothingness. Just as she was about to turn, her eyes flashed golden.


	2. Solar and Sonar

**Yadda yadaa, my second writing, blah-blah-blah. Found anything of spiritual value yet? :)**

**Disclaimer: Once again, NO RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION HERE. Plainly for those of you who wish for a difference from swearing, violence, and uncloseness to God.**

**And to that anonymous person who bad-mouthed about Jesus in my 3rd review, I'll pray to Him to forgive you. Hopefully you'll experience the grace and love of our beloved Lord in heaven. :)  
**

Chapter II - Solar and Sonar

The three of them discussed quietly about what had transpired, as Kevin drove down the narrow lane back to Bellwood.

"Don't you think it's strange that creature just disappeared so suddenly?" Gwen commented. Ben nodded. "Not to mention that girl appeared out of nowhere." "Well, speaking of 'nowhere', your split-second yell destroyed my paint job, Tennyson. You have any idea how long I spent repairing the last damages?" Kevin grumbled. "Hey, how was I supposed t' know?!" Ben retorted in an annoyed manner. Gwen just sighed. This was going to take a long while.

A few moments passed without incident, save for Ben, in his boredom, staring outside. His hand inched towards the car lock, but was stopped by a disapproving glance from Gwen. Luckily Kevin hadn't noticed.

Without warning, a loud crash sounded from their opposite direction. They had passed a small town some miles back, and the noise seemed to come from there. "Not AGAIN!" Kevin complained angrily, but he turned the steering wheel to the right, and they swerved off, towards the town.

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The girl walked back slowly, tired from the previous chase. Gave another long sigh, trudged on wearily.

Then she heard it. A crumbling noise, followed by a loud roar. Though the town was a long ways away, her sensitive ears could pick up sounds from 10 miles away. Then came screams of terror.

She tensed. Turning back meant danger. But she couldn't leave those people to die at the hands(or claws) of whatever was there. "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."(Romans 10)

She turned and ran.

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The large alien crashed around the wreckage of concrete and wood, chasing its tarmac-covered opponent. "A little help here!" Kevin yelled. A pink shield materialized above him, blocking the alien's attacks. Kevin turned around and grinned. "A 'please' would've been nice." Gwen admonished, but she was smiling, too.

Ben, as Jetray, hovered around the alien. It was huge, with lizard-like features. "Pretty much like Godzilla," he thought. "Hey, ugly!" The 'Godzilla' turn towards him, fangs bared. "This way!" Ben sped off, the alien directly behind him.

At a good distance, Jetray turned and fire lasers from his eyes and tail, directly at it. The alien snarled in pain, and blindly swiped at its attacker. Jetray swerved around, but was caught by the monster's paw and sent crashing to the ground.

"Ben!" Gwen shouted, she and Kevin racing towards the alien. Ben had reverted to his usual self, and was rubbing his head. He looked up to see the alien towering above him, claws raised. His eyes widened in shock.

Suddenly, the creature was knocked aside by a transparent energy ball, but with waves running through it. As it hit the alien, Ben thought he heard a low, but loud, thud. The energy ball was composed of…_sound_?

Ben looked to his left. A fairly large animal stood there, hackles raised, tail pointed downwards. "Hey…wasn't that what we were chasing?" Kevin asked, stopping to a halt from his run. Sure enough, it resembled the creature, with wolf-like features, save for its large front claws and the crystalline armor on its chest and tail.

The wolf looked up at them for a moment, eyes gleaming with golden light. Then it turned at towards the 'Godzilla'. It prowled silently, watching the monster with now steely eyes. Ben, Gwen and Kevin stood watching, frozen in place.

The monster roared and aimed a swipe at it, but the creature dodged out of the way. Growling, the wolf jumped. As it leaped through the air, bright rays erupted from its claws, burning the monster. The monster fled, but not before swiping the wolf with its huge claws, sending it flying.

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Slowly, she got up, whining softly. The monster's attack hadn't broken anything, but her flank still hurt. The red-haired girl took a step towards her, a worried expression on her face, and immediately she tensed, ears flattened against her head, tail drooped down. Her eyes watched them warily, but not threatening.

But they didn't seem to mean any harm. She knew that by sensing their emotions. Just tired, from the fighting. So was she. She couldn't last much longer.

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"It needs help," Gwen said. "It's hurt." But as she approached, the wolf turned way from Gwen, in a defensive way. It watched her warily.

Finally, the creature slumped down in exhaustion, closing its eyes.

As they watched, a soft white glow spread around it. They tensed, ready for danger. In a flash, the wolf was gone. In its place was a girl. She looked up, attempting to make a smile, although a slight upturn of one corner was all she could manage, and said,"It? _It?_ Do I look like _it_ to you?

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**Well, how's that for a shocker? But I guess many of you would have known already. Sorry for the numerous lines in between. And somehow, the words 'then' and 'towards' just seem to plague my writing. Oh well. Ciao!(for now...)**


	3. Discussion

**Weee....here comes Chapter 3. Sorry it's so late, no time to write**.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Ben 10, authority to write this is given by our Lord Jesus Christ. NO RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION!!!**

Chapter III – Discussion

"O…..kay," Kevin said, unhelpfully. Ben and Gwen glared at him for a moment before turning to the girl. She sighed. "I'm gonna have to explain, don't I?" Kevin was surprised by her response. He had expected her to be frightened to death, or at least silent. He pushed the thought away, and simply nodded. "We should get in the car," Ben suggested. "Not much use staying here any longer."

Ten minutes, and still nothing. The girl was quiet, staring out the window. Kevin was getting impatient. Then finally, she spoke. "My name's Jennifer," she began. "I-

"Jennifer? Jennifer what?" Kevin cut in. Jennifer looked at him with a slightly annoyed expression. "I don't exactly remember. Just that it had an 'L' in it. I hardly remember anything about my life....," she fell silent for a second, then continued. "Anyway, you were right, I do live up at the chapel. Or rather, outside of it. It…." , she hesitated, then said, "It feels safer up there."

"And your powers? How did you get them?" Gwen asked. The girl shrugged. "I've just had them. That's what I remember, anyway. But - I know it's linked to my necklace." She held it up for them to see. It was a beautiful pendant, the slightly translucent fragments tinted with shades of blue, and even a hint of purple. "And for some reason, it _doesn't come off_. No matter how hard I pull." She tugged at it to give some emphasis. Except for the string, it hardly budged.

"It's the same colour as those crystals you had," Ben remarked. Jennifer nodded. "How can we be sure that you're not lying?" Kevin asked, skeptically. "Because I telling the truth," she replied. " A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies."(Proverbs 14:5) I'm not asking you guys to have full trust in me. I know how you feel. I'm just asking you to believe what I'm saying."

They car had stopped; they were outside Ben's house. "You can bunk with me…Jen," Ben offered. "Won't your parents notice?" Jen asked, looking surprised at the mention of her name. "Nah, they won't mind. They know what we do." To explain, he showed her the Omnitrix. "In that case, thanks." Jen followed him out of the car.

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**Well, we've finally got oursleves some explanation, and her name(partially), for that matter. I'm sick of writing 'that girl' or 'the girl'. XD  
**


	4. The Concept of Trust

**Finally, Chapter 4..........took a while to think of a good plot for this chapter. Hope I can upload the next soon!**

**Disclaimer: This content is not for the purpose of insluting other religions. Those reading this can turn back if they want, but for your own sake, please don't...**

**And this is a LONG message to that anonymous fella who didn't bother to put his name. If you're not him, you can skip, or READ(it's very beneficial!!!). If you ARE him/her, then please read. Sorry for those who aren't him/her......trying not to be offensive to others.  
**

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**I don't need my own words to tell what you how I, and Jesus, feel. the Lord's Word in the Bible can express me well enough.**

**Jesus is very much alive now, y'know. Did you know he died on the cross for our sins, but was RESURRECTED FROM THE DEAD IN 3 DAYS? Or did Sunday School knowledge exit from the other side of your brain long ago?  
**

**2**** Kings 19:22 Who is it you have insulted and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel!**

**By blaspheming Jesus, you are condemning yourself. Don't you know what happens to unbelievers? The Bible states it plainly enough.**

**Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.**

**God punishes those who blaspheme Him and sin......how would you feel being burnt and tortured for ETERNITY?****In hell, senses are sharper, pain is worse than anything on earth.**

**Matthew 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,**

**But despite your comments, truly, I say to you, I only feel sorry. I've read about TRUE stories about people who visited hell, like Mary., and Choo Thomas, and those who sin, blaspheme Jesus, are gay/lesbian, and practice witchcraft are condemned to go there. Therefore, I'll keep praying for your call to repentance.**

**Acts 8:22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.**

**This one pretty much says it all already.**

**Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.**

**If you repent, you will experience God's love and grace. If not, then.....either you're lying(which just makes it even worse), or there's something else you need to ask forgiveness for which I don't know.**

**God bless!!! ;)  
**

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Chapter IV – The Concept of Trust

Jennifer got up, her tolerance spent. To her sensitive ears, Ben's snores were louder than the car engine. Quietly, she wriggled out of her borrowed mattress and opened the window, wincing as it creaked. She turned her head. He was still asleep.

Sitting down, she contemplated what had happened. The chase, the fight, her _powers_. What she had done had been out of instinct. It hadn't happened before, except from what she faintly remembered. Everything had been just…normal. Not now.

For the half of it, she was worried, and scared. She had no idea what could happen, or when. There was still a lot she didn't know, even about herself. Finding the answers would be even harder. And as for the three of them, she knew Kevin still didn't trust her. She sensed that from his emotions, complicated, mostly anger, but also unsure with himself, and others around him.

At the same time, part of her, through the Holy Spirit, knew not to worry. The best thing to do would be to leave it in God's hands. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." (Proverbs 3:5-6). Yes, that was what she would do. He would help her.

She knelt down for a moment, praying for help and guidance.

The she closed her eyes, to calm herself down. Most of the time, transforming in this state was tricky, and she had never actually got it right. Before this, she had only ever changed during times of turmoil, such as her dilemma of what to do when she heard that monster. But at this time, she had to concentrate.

Meditating, she thought of what she had experienced when she had changed. In her five senses, she saw blinding colours, with a gentle, but loud blowing in her ears. A strange, rather metallic taste in her mouth. She _felt_ a rushing movement, as though she was in a stream, the water rushing about her. And she smelt the sweet smell of the earth, deep down.

Now, she felt those same senses around her, but slower. For a second, she panicked. Took another deep breath, and gave herself in to the rushing senses of her soul.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. She looked down, and saw fur and claws replacing her human body. She had done it!

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Meanwhile, Kevin lay on his bed, wide awake, and thinking about what had occurred.

He knew he couldn't believe in Jen. She was dangerous, her powers proved that already. As a girl as young as her, she couldn't control her powers properly, which might result in something worse. As a stranger, there was no telling what she might do.

And he had never seen that kind of alien before. He knew, because he had an index of alien species which he kept a few months back, when he was still trading alien tech. The creature had looked like a Loboan, but it wasn't on two legs. And the crystals seemed familiar too, he wasn't sure why. Her pendant mystified him, too. He was a master in this type of knowledge, and yet he didn't know what it was, or could be.

He looked out of the open window, and observed a cat running down the street. The night air was cool; a breeze had picked up, blowing wonderfully to his face.

She wasn't to be trusted. It was that simple. He wanted so badly to believe in it, to put his whole heart and self into that one fact.

And yet.

Something about her peaceful nature struck him. Her attitude, unlike other people they'd met, was…different. She answered questions without hesitation, contrary to how a frightened girl would act. And she _never_ got angry. Normally, people would get pretty annoyed with him, not that he cared. That was how it normally worked.

Looking upwards, he played the scenes in his head, over and over again.

Black hair, and dark eyes. The same sense of wariness and shadiness, from living outside the normal world, away from others. The same unhesitant, outspoken way of talking.

All the same.

He sat upright. "It couldn't be….."

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**Tadaa.....decided to move chapter 5 here.....it was too short by itself.**


	5. Night Traipse

**FINALLY!!!!!!!! So sorry it took so long, one week of new international school= tough luck typing long sentences. But me finished this chapter, so yay!**

**Ya'll know the message, not religious discrimination!**

**WARNING: Read this before proceeding, unless you've read Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. This passage shows Jennifer's view as a wolf, so I've used most of the terms from the above series, save a few. Translations below!**

**Dark: Night Light: Day Bright White Eye: Moon 'little cubs' - stars Bright-Beast-that-Bites-Hot: Fire Den: neighbourhood/house tailless: human Not-stone: Metal Little Wet: Stream 'He': JESUS!!! Roaring Lion : the Devil (rrrrppppssss!)  
**

Chapter V – Night Traipse

Jen slipped out of the window as soundlessly as smoke, and checking to make sure no one was disturbed, trotted off towards the other side.

She loved the Dark, with its smells and sounds sharper than Light. She glanced up to see the Bright White Eye, bitten in half, with its many little cubs scattered in the Up.

Her wolf eyes showed her everything she needed. Like a wolf, she could see in the Dark as well as during the Light, and her ears and nose picked up what other taillesses couldn't sense. Her sharp claws were good at climbing, her tail helping to balance her at every step.

At the same time, she was different from a normal wolf. Her barks and howls were sometimes louder, the claws on her forepaws were much bigger, and when she was frightened, branches of light hit whatever scared her, which were like the Bright-Beast-that-Bites-Hot. On her chest and the tip of her tail was a hard, shiny stone, which _looked_ broken, but yet still stuck to each other.

Sniffing around, Jen explored the denning place, careful to stay away from the smaller dens, or from the two-legged creatures. Jen knew them, because she was one, too. But they were so strange! Unlike a normal wolf, they walked on their hind legs, and were hopeless at smelling and hearing things, or seeing in the Dark. Strangest of all, they didn't have any tails.

But they made up for that by being clever, sometimes even cleverer than a normal wolf. They could make things out of scraps of wood, stone, and as well, the odd-smelling, hard lumps which were like stone, but not. And they caught plenty of prey, though Jen never saw how.

Compared to a wolf's, the denning place was huge, with many taillesses living here. To her surprise, they didn't stay in the same Den, as normal wolves do, but stuck with their mates and cubs, although she did often see them together, in many different places.

However, her new pack, the three taillesses, always stayed close, like a proper wolf pack. The shorter male, which seemed to be pack leader, was friendly, and didn't mind Jen joining their pack. On his left forepaw was a strange piece of Not-stone, which Jen had seen other taillesses wearing before, which they kept looking at. But his was even more odd, because it glowed brightly, and when he touched it with his other forepaw, he grew into another creature, which smelled different, and could fly.

BrightPaw's pack-sister puzzled her even more. She smelled like a normal tailless, but when she attacked, her paws glowed white, as well as her eyes, and when she threw the glowing thing, it had hit the strange, big creature.

The tall, dark tailless was the strangest of all. When he touched the ground, his overpelt became stone. He growled and snapped the most, and didn't like her being in the pack, although he didn't bully or snarl at her. But he was also good-hearted inside, and protective of the pack, especially for the pack-sister.

Jen looked around once more, and, satisfied, turned and trotted of towards the Forest.

Passing through a few low branches, she lifted her head to sniff the many scents around her. She smelled tree, and further away, deer, a whole herd loping through the grass, but she wasn't hungry. Her ears perked up as a badger passed by, eager to return to its sett. Jen padded down the slope and found a little Wet. She lapped it up, to chase the thirst away.

Something made her pause. She looked up to see the Up. Most of its pelt was black, but in the middle, she saw something, much, much, brighter than the White Eye, yet smaller. She sensed that same feeling, which told her He was watching.

He was different from any other creature, because Jen knew, just by knowing, that He was their creator. He was pack leader, and taillesses and animals were the pack. He wanted discipline, and exercised His leadership strongly, but He loved and fiercely protected the pack, and asserted His leadership without pride, for He was leader, but also the pack.

But the Roaring Lion would come, and together with the demons, he would take members of the pack, and they would follow them. Watching these taillesses join the bad pack made Jen sad, because unless they were sorry and wanted to return, they couldn't go back to His Den, which was above the Up.

Sometimes, He would show Himself like this, and this usually meant something important. Jen left the little Wet and continued on, her senses alert, ready for danger.

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**Hope to post the next one A.S.A.P!**


	6. Future Consequences

**Took me so long to get this uploaded.......I had a problem w/ the Microsoft Word on my new Macbook because of compatibility, Docx and blah-blah. Well, since it's done, you guys can see it!**

Chapter VI – Future Consequences

Paradox materialized behind Azmuth, holding his golden pocket watch in one hand, the other holding a small object. "The repairs are going well, I suppose?" he asked, walking towards the Galvan. "Yes, everyone's working on it as fast as they can," Azmuth replied. "As long as we are working this hard, the city should be back to its former self in no time."

The time-walker chuckled. "About time. The last time I traveled here in the future, the other side of the planet was still in shambles. Anyway, during my travels, I found something – something you might find interesting." He opened his hand to reveal what looked like a shard of glass, reflecting the light in many different colours.

"I found this only two days ahead of your current timeline. It was in Bellwood, where the boy - Ben Tennyson lives," Paradox said.

Azmuth studied the shard for a moment, then nodded. "I remember it," he murmured. "It was part of an experiment, while the Omnitrix was being finalized…" he stopped talking, deep in thought. "How did you find it?"

"Well, I was attracted to its location after I heard a series of loud crashes and explosions. By the time I arrived, whatever, or whoever made that noise was gone. Whatever happened there, it is highly likely that this object is linked with the commotion."

Azmuth sighed. "This shard was stolen after I sent for it. Whatever alien DNA is in here, it's extremely dangerous, and with it in such a particular location…" he shook his head in dismay. "Whoever owns this shard in the present must be located, and the shard will be taken back, by force if necessary. Meanwhile, I will take this piece and send it for tests, to determine what DNA is contained in it. That way, it will be easier to track and deal with the problem." With that final sentence, he took the mirror-like piece from Paradox's hand.

If Azmuth wasn't saying everything he knew, Paradox noted, he didn't make a move to say anything else. "Well, if that's all, I'll be heading off for some more…research." A portal appeared behind him, ready to send Paradox to the next destination. "Oh, and, by the way….you might want to check on that worker on Platform 35 in the west sector of the city - he's about to fall in, say, 5 minutes? Cheerio!" With that, he walked into the portal and vanished.

The last thing Azmuth did before running towards the door was shake his head, muttering angrily.

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**Have no idea when the next chapter will be posted...**


	7. Haunts of Dreams and Creatures

**Edited for reasons only bunnies, cakes and grass can understand.**

Chapter VI – Haunts of Dreams and Creatures

It was only a dream, but at the same time, he knew it was real.

He watched as wolf and bear battled, fangs clashing. The bear was huge, with large curved spikes of bone sticking out of its back and elbows, roaring with menacing fury. The wolf snarled, just as ferocious, fangs and eyes gleaming, protecting its pack. He saw sharp claws, and glittering crystal. The wolf's penetrating stare never left its enemy.

_Its pack_. He saw four people standing behind it, huddled together for safety. Two boys, two girls. One of them turned and looked at him, his face fearful. He realized with a shock that he was looking at himself.

Another clash, and the two animals circled each other, preparing for the next one. Both were wounded in places, the wolf more so. It was panting hard from the fighting, but it nevertheless went on.

To his right, he saw a group of men, surveying the spectacle in fright. Further off, he spotted a figure slumped down under a low tree. He couldn't see who it was, he was too far away. Wolf growled, followed by a snarl from the bear, halting his distraction. As the two animals circled, he realized that this battle was one to the death. Only one would survive.

The bear leaped, shaking the ground with its weight as it left it. The wolf tensed, ready to pounce. "No!!!" he tried to shout, but his voice had left him. The scene faded away, leaving him uncertain of the outcome.

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Ben woke with a jolt as the alarm clock rang. Sleepily, he fumbled for it, t turn it off. It was still four in the morning. Had he set it too early? He checked the alarm setting. It read 6:30 a.m., as usual. That was strange, he thought.

Then he remembered the dream. He had seen Jen and the other animal, the bear, leaping to attack. Just thinking of it made him shiver. Had it been real?

He looked towards where Jen had been sleeping, and stopped short. Where she had been, emptiness now stood in her place. She was gone.

Leaping out from his bed, he reached for his phone. He had to call the others.

"Are you _sure _she's not in your house?!" Gwen muttered, changing as fast as she could. "It's 4 in the morning!"

"I'm pretty sure she's not here; I've looked everywhere! Minus my parents' room, that is."

"Well, in that case, I'll meet you outside your house. I'll get Kevin." With that, she put down the phone. "Honestly, I can't believe this would happen at such an inconvenient hour."

15 minutes later, after a long, troublesome struggle convincing Kevin to come, they were finally in the car. "You think you can track her?" Ben asked Gwen. "Hold on," she replied. "There isn't much of her manna here, since she hasn't really been here for long, so it may take a while." Gwen's eyes glowed pink; she was trying to track Jen through her manna, and as she had been in the car, this was the best place to do so. A while longer, and the glowing stopped. "I've found her," said Gwen. "10 miles west, beyond the forest."

For most of the journey, Kevin was silent, his hands gripping the steering wheel. He seemed deep in thought. Gwen made a mental note to ask him about that later.

"…I knew we couldn't trust her," he said angrily. "We help her, and now she's gone off again." "Don't be so skeptical," Ben argued. "She's only been in my house for 4 hours. She could've been scared, or…something." "Or maybe she just didn't like your house," Kevin replied with equal annoyance. "Hey, don't make me –," he was stopped short from leaping into the driver's seat by a large pink shield. "Ow," Ben said, rubbing his cheek which had collided into Gwen's manna shield.

"Seriously, guys, are you ever gonna learn how to stop fighting? Anyway, we need to focus on more important things." She lowered her hand, and the shield disappeared. "I'm sitting in front next time."

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Jen prowled at the edge of the forest, watching the pack of taillesses. A group of them were listening but not paying attention as another tailless barked and growled at them in tailless talk. Taillesses were _so _complicated. For some reason, taillesses got angry at the smallest things, especially when they handed those long, thin leaves that smelt a little like trees. Jen didn't understand what was so important about them. Whenever taillesses took food, or other things, they always gave these leaves to the other tailless.

Now, the pack leader was ordering them to do something, and they reluctantly obeyed. Behind him was _another _tailless, calmly surveying the scene. He surprisingly smelt and looked like BrightPaw, but also something else, like BrightPaw when he could fly. Jen sensed his malicious hunger, and deep rage.

The taillesses walked slowly into the forest, and looked around, as if searching for something. One of them held a lump of Not-Stone in his forepaw, and a faint whining came from it. Jen cocked her head, curious as she watched the taillesses. Suddenly, one of them turned towards her direction. She tensed and lowered her head as he walked cautiously towards her. When he was almost upon her, she darted away. The tailless gave a shout, and the rest of them headed in her direction. They were _hunting_ her.

But why? Taillesses weren't the enemies of wolves. They attacked, but only in defence of their cubs and mates. The enemies of wolves were lynx and bear, who killed their cubs, but not _tailless. _

It didn't matter. Compared to a wolf, taillesses ran as slow as cubs; they would never catch her. She flicked her ear in scorn, and raced off.

Out of nowhere, a big animal crashed into Jen, knocking her sideways. Quickly, she regained her footing, but was just in time to dodge another attack from the creature. She was surprised to see a huge creature, which was on four paws, like a wolf, but smelt like the other BrightPaw. It didn't have eyes, but Jen sensed it's powerful nose, and saw the sharp twig-like things on its back.

The not-wolf creature roared, and lunged at her. With a growl, she twisted and barked, aiming the ball of sound at the creature. It hit, and the creature fell, but was soon up again. It snarled, ready to fight, and Jen responded likewise.

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**Oh boy...running out of plot bunnies. Is it legal to say dollar notes are leaves since they're made from trees?**


	8. Friends, Families and Foes

**Phew, this one's long.......final chapter of Part 1. Enjoy!!!**

Chapter VIII – Friends, Family, and Foes

"Can't you drive any further? We can't see out here!"

"No, I'm not gonna drive into those trees; I ain't taking another scratch on my ride once I've gotten rid of the last ones."

"Well, how do you expect us to find Jen?"

"I don't know. You tell me!"

Gwen sighed as the two teenagers argued before yelling, "For the last time, do I have to babysit you two?!" She held up her hand, full of manna, to emphasize her point, which put an end to their debate. "Kevin Ethan Levin, you stay here. Ben, you turn into one of your aliens and find her. She's somewhere in the forest, up ahead." Ben just nodded before turning the Omnitrix's dial and slamming it down. "BigChill…" the Necrofriggian breathed before spreading its moth-like wings and flying off into the night.

There was a slight, awkward silence between the two for a moment, before Kevin looked up and asked, "So, any reason why you asked me to stay behind?"

Gwen nodded. "I wanted to ask you. In the car. For a moment you seemed quite hung up back there. Is something wrong?"

Kevin didn't answer immediately, but turned and looked towards where BigChill had flown, as though the foliage had posed a more interesting topic. Then he said, "I've been thinking. About Jennifer. Don't - don't you think it's strange she has such powers? I mean, I've never seen any alien species that looks like her, not to mention that she doesn't seem to know anything about her heritage." What he had really meant to ask wasn't this, but he didn't want to go straight to it just yet.

Gwen pondered the question for a moment. "You're right," she answered. "Although….I don't think she's lying, but it doesn't make much sense either, at least for now," she looked at him and flashed a grin. "Not that you'd know, smart-guy." Kevin gave a sheepish smile, and Gwen laughed.

"Well…there's something else, too." Gwen looked at him, curious. "Would you say….that Jen and I look alike?"

Gwen stared at him for a few seconds before finding her voice again. "Are you saying…?"

"That's what I think." He sighed and looked upwards. "Something about her powers…controlling energy…it makes me think, remember what happened when I absorbed all that alien DNA from the Omnitrix?"

"Yeah, I get that. You turned into a mutated form of all the 10 aliens in there."

"And if I've never seen that species of alien before, you think that - something similar might've happened?"

Gwen saw that he looked worried, or even concerned. "But there's no other Omnitrix out there, is there? Azmuth would've at least told Ben, or Grandpa Max if there was."

Kevin shrugged. "Maybe I'm just overanalyzing things." In the moonlight she saw that he wore a sad expression on his face. "And all this time, I didn't know…she didn't even tell me…"

Gwen put a hand on his shoulder. "If your mother didn't tell you, there must've been a reason why. Whatever it was, it would've been to protect the both of you."

Kevin turned and looked at her. "How did you know I was thinking about that?"

"Because I know you," she replied. "Don't worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Besides, each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34) She looked at him, and Kevin's smile widened.

For a while, they simply sat together and stared at the moon, which was reaching its full circle. Then Gwen said, "Don't you think Ben's been gone a while? Maybe we should go check it out." As if in answer, a number of explosions sounded, far ahead.

Kevin nodded. "You're right. We'd better go." He now had a determined expression. "And I'll want to have a few words with Jen." He saw Gwen's expression, and added, "Not harsh ones." Gwen grinned. "You gonna drive through?"

"No matter what you say, I ain't driving my ride in there. That's final."

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Big Chill flew silently through the forest canopy, staying low as to avoid unwanted attraction, but high enough to see where he was going.

Further ahead, he spotted smoke, and to his surprise, wolf howls. Had Jennifer seen him? She couldn't have, not from this far. But she had. And she needed help.

"Let's see if I can speed things up." He pressed the Omnitrix on his chest and transformed into Jetray.

"Jetray!" The Aerophibian soared higher, and sped off with a huge burst of speed.

The forest was surprisingly almost quiet when he arrived. He looked to his left and saw Jen as a wolf, pinned to the ground by…a Vulpimancer?

There were people surrounding the two of them everywhere; men in black jackets; with a strange, awkwardly shaped lightning bolt on each right shoulder. One in particular wore the same, only his jacket was silver. To his left was a big machine, with a long antenna sticking out from the middle.

Ben noiselessly flew down into the trees, careful to make no one notice, then transformed back into himself. Quietly, he moved to the back of a particularly thick tree, dangerously close to the clearing.

"You know, I'm surprised you managed to evade us for so long," the man was saying, walking towards Jen. "But did you really think you could escape from me, The Merger?"

Jennifer looked at him and growled, but her eyes weren't steely; she wore a serious but soft expression, as though she wasn't angry.

"In any case, it doesn't matter now. Since our experiments were not able to be…completed back then, we'll just have to do them now."

Jen's eyes widened as he stepped closer, but remained stationery, growling.

"Come on, now," the man said impatiently. "And be a good dog."

Jen stopped for a moment, then, without warning, a burst of light emanated from her claws, shoving aside the Vulpimancer, but not harming. Jen got up and looked at the circle of people, who had raised and aimed their laser guns at her. Her eyes turned and settled…on him.

The two stared at each other, and Jen's face turned from caution to surprise.

"Uff!" she barked. Ben frowned.

"I'm here," Ben whispered. "Stay!"

But Jen repeated the bark, and looked towards the throng of people, then back at him again.

What was she trying to tell him? He glanced at the circle of men. So far, they hadn't seen him.

Then he realized the Vulpimancer was looking straight at him.

Of course, he thought. What was he thinking? The Wildmutt couldn't see, but it could smell him there from a mile.

The Vulpimancer roared, and leaped towards him, but was knocked aside by Jen. The wolf snarled and tried to pin it to the ground, but the Vulpimancer was stronger and easily batted her away. Jen collapsed on her side, and she morphed back into her human self. Her eyes were closed.

"No!" Ben yelled.

The Vulpimancer turned towards him and charged. Instinctively he turned the dial on the Omnitrix and raised his arm to slam it down, but he was too slow and the Vulpimancer knocked him flat.

"An intruder?!" the man in the silver jacket exclaimed in rage.

The Vulpimancer turned and growled, then in a flash of red light transformed…into Albedo.

"And not just any intruder," he chuckled with an evil grin. "Gentlemen, this….is Ben Tennyson."

The group of people looked at each other in surprise. Albedo's smile widened.

But he hadn't realized that in the short time he had taken to speak, Ben had been able to get control of his Omnitrix.

"HUMOUNGASAUR!" The large reptilian alien stood up, shaking the ground with his weight. The men panicked and fled.

"No, stop! What do you think you're doing?!" The Merger yelled furiously, as he watched his comrades depart. It was no use. They were too scared.

Ben stared at Albedo, who had calmly turned to face him.

"So, Ben Tennyson, I finally will get my revenge." Albedo said, his voice filled with cold hatred.

"There are things more important for me to deal with than _you_," Humoungasaur growled. Albedo just grinned, and disappeared in a flash of red light.

Humoungasaur was blasted with green laser-beams and ducked for cover. He looked up and saw Albedo above him as Jetray.

"But…how?" he exclaimed in confusion. "Didn't Azmuth remove your Omnitrix?"

"Oh he did," Albedo chuckled. "But thanks to the DNA I collected in the past during my work with that wretched Azmuth, along with some help from my friend here," he glanced at the man in the silver jacket, "I can now transform into any alien I please." He transformed again and sent a freezing blizzard towards Humongasaur, freezing him in place. "See?" Albedo said as BigChill. He sucked in a huge amount of breath, ready to freeze.

Out of nowhere, a ball of pink light shot from the sky and hit him, and he plummeted to the ground.

"Ben? Are you alright?" Ben saw Gwen and Kevin running down a nearby slope on Gwen's manna steps.

"Jen!" Kevin ran towards the girl and lifted her up halfway. "What happened?"

"She's okay. Just unconscious." As though in accordance, Jen's eyes opened. "Safe yet?" she mumbled, shaking her head. "Not yet," Kevin responded. "Hold on –

"I could not agree more." Kevin cried out as he was frozen in place. Gwen and Ben turned, but were immediately trapped in ice. Albedo swooped down, intangible, and grabbed Jen from him, landing beside the machine. Jen struggled, growling, but to no avail. Albedo cruelly dropped here down, making her wince.

"Leave her there," The Merger said. He walked to the right side of the machine and pulled the lever.

Kevin's head was still unfrozen, and he strained his neck to see what was happening. "No, stop it!" he yelled frantically.

Jen was blasted with energy, which raised her higher and higher. She struggled with the shock, her eyes tightly closed shut. Her pendant was slowly lifted upwards by the energy, and it was making a high whining sound.

With a flash and a loud explosion, Jen was flung to the side as her necklace was torn from her neck. The Merger grabbed it triumphantly.

The Merger turned and looked towards the three, who were immobilized by the ice. "Finish them," he casually stated to Albedo. Albedo transformed into Chromastone, grinning. He raised his arms together, gathering a huge amount of energy, enough to kill.

Painfully, Jen pulled herself upwards to a kneeling position, and saw what was about to occur. But she didn't cry out, or scream. Her eyes narrowed like a wolf, and she lunged towards Albedo just before he released the energy. Albedo exclaimed angrily as the energy bolt shot away from its targets, but was near enough to break the ice that encased the three. Some of the excess energy blasted in front of him, sending both him and Jennifer flying.

Albedo got up and, furious, prepared to attack again, but was halted by Ben, who had transformed into Goop and had wrapped around him. Albedo twisted and blasted Goop away with a burst of energy.

Jen stood up, her eyes flinty. She transformed into her wolf form – and nothing happened.

Jen frowned and tried again. Still nothing. She couldn't do it. Albedo saw her situation, and raised his arm, but was attacked by Swampfire., and Gwen's manna bolts. He looked at Jen and said, "Go! We'll be OK!"

Jen hesitated, then said, "I'm sorry." She turned and ran into the trees, into the vast forest.

"Jennifer!" Kevin yelled. But he was too late; she was gone.

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Jennifer ran till she could run no more, and stopped at a nearby stream, panting.

Everywhere was dark, she realized. She could hardly see anything. She couldn't hear animals, or smell them, either, unlike a wolf.

_Not like a wolf._

Jennifer bent down sadly, not crying outside, but on the inside.

_No longer a wolf….._

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**Gee, I wonder if this gives anyone a dun-dun-dun feeling. Sorry about the sudden story-ending change. I just realized that it'll mess up the start of the next installation. Next part to be posted soon! (hopefully) R&R please?**


	9. Author's Note

Hey again everyone! Got a few things to say here.

For the record, I think that this Part 1 seriously lacks storyline. Wonder if anyone noticed how short Chapter III was...... -__- '  
If possible, Part 1 will undergo a major editing session. Don't know about what to do yet, though.

Part 2's gonna take a while, but I think Chapter I can be uploaded pretty soon. I seriously hope I can make the chapters much longer. (or at least look much longer). XD  
Unlikely that it'll be posted today though. I just got a sore throat this morning and it's driving me bonkers...and I have to gargle salt-water. At least it helps, a little.

And due to a seriously deprived brain, I still can't think of a proper title for the next part. Part 2 (insert word here). If possible, send in suggestions that may help, please? For the record, this part concentrates on Kevin and Jen's relationship together. (not the wrong kind...)

Well, hope it'll keep you interested and thanks to whoever who has reviewed or actually viewed my story, excluding one particular fella...


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